Belt-fastening machine



Dec, 2, 1924.

W. S. LAKE BELT FASTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1923 "4 Sheets-Sheet 1 06/1/04: aka.

M M m5 W r O m y Z w 4 ,o/a id 9 v Q 4 9 J flfi a @khers:

Deb, 2, 1924. 1,517,647

W. 5. LA K E BELT FASTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1923 2 Sheets$heet 2 5 2/06/7121; Kaila Y0 40 length with a longitudinal slot 2 and at its Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. LAKE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BELT-FASTENING MACHINE.

Application filed August 27, 1923. Serial No. 659,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER S. LAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Belt-Fastening Machines, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to a belt end fastening machine, of that class making provision for stretching one end and for trimming either or both ends to parallel and properly spaced relations, and the object is to provide means for efficiently securing the ends of the belt together by a fastener and for properly supporting and applying such fastener.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through the center of the machine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line VV of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective of a part of the appliance; and

Figure 7 a section of said part in the plane of one of the journal points of a rotary clamp.

As a part of the frame of the appliance, there is a base 1, provided for nearly its full front end with handle 3. At the rear end of the base there is a standard 4 provided with a forwardly-projecting arm 5 overlying the base. Projecting from the standard 4: and extending forwardly is an angle arm 6, equipped with a clamp screw 7 overlying a laterally-projecting jaw 8 of the base, this clamping screw and jaw being adapted for p the purpose of clamping one end of a belt in fixed relation to and upon the base. An arm 9 projecting horizontally from the op posite side of the base, is provided with a longitudinal slot 10, and at its opposite edges constitutes rack-bars 11 and 12 arranged in break or step joint relation, as shown most clearly by Figure 1. A clamping plate or member 13 fits slidingly upon the arm 9 and is provided at its rear end with an upwardly-projecting portion terminating in a forwardly-projecting arm 14- overlying the plate 13, and mounted in said overlying arm 14 is a clamping screw 15 to cooperate with plate 13 in firmly gripping the other end of the belt, hereinbefore referred to. Fitting slidingly and non-rotatably in slot 10 of arm 9, is a block 16 pivotally connected with the plate or member 13, and pivoted to and underlying the block 16 is a lever 17, the samebeing retained in position by a retaining nut 18. A pair of pivoted pawls 19 and 20 underlie and are pivoted to the lever at oppos'zte sides of arm 9 and are adapted to alternately engage the teeth 11 and 12 respec tively, of said bar when the lever is rocked laterally in opposite directions for the purpose of eflecting sliding travel of the clamp members 13 and 15 toward the base, this action being for the purpose of stretching the belt so as to bring the corresponding end adjacent the fixed end held by the clamping members 7 and 8. A retractile spring 21 connects pins depending from the pawls, and a cable 22 also connects said pins and at an intermediate point fits around a pulley 23. The arrangement is such that when the pawl 19 is grasped by its handle 19 and disen gaged from the rack bar 11, the cable pulls rearwardly on and disengages pawl 20 from rack bar 12. This simultaneous disengagement of the rack bars permits the clamp members 13 and 1.5 with their connected parts, including lever 17, to be moved outward or away from the base with ease and quickness. It will be noted that the pulley 23 is mounted in a lug 21, depending from the plate or member 13.

A clamping screw 25 is mounted in arm 5, and secured upon the upper end of said screw is a peripherally notched disk or wheel 26. A lever 27 is pivoted on the screw and isprovided with a spring-actuated dog 28 for engagement with the notches of the disk for the purpose of turning the same and thus imparting screwing or unscrewing action to the screw 25.

A rectangular frame 29 somewhat shorter and narrower than the base is disposed parallel with and above the same, and the inner faces of the sides of the frame are rabhetcd to provide upwardly -facing shoulders 30. An s'nched cross piece 31 at the center of .the frame, carries a plate 32 swivelled on the lower end of the screw 25, The ends 83 and 3d of the frame are also arched and the rear one is provided with a notch 35 engaging a vertical. guide rib 36 on the standard 4, so that vertical adjustment of the frame through operation of the. screw, shall not disturb the parallel relation of the frame with respect to the base. The end 33 carries a clamp screw 37, for impingement on an upstanding lug 37" .of a fastener holder slidingly and detachably mounted on the frame 29. The holder is constructed as follows: A body-portion 38 fits against the bottom of frame 29, and has a flanged rib 89 fitting within said frame and resting upon the shoulders 30. The holder has a longitudinal slot 40, a forwardly-projecting handle 41, and comb-like side guides 4-2, and equipped with a journaled eccentric rotary clamp 43 extending longitudinally through end '33 and arch 31 .of the frame 29, and adapted when turned or rotated to clamped position, to bind on said end and arch and thereby secure the holder firmly or rigidly in place. It is also equipped at the corners of the body, with vertical guide loops at, receiving the ends of a pair of combs 45, the teeth of which extend down through the comb-guides, the combs being capable of up ward adjustment in the corner loops until the lower ends of both guides and comb-teeth are at the same level. Normally the teeth depend below the comb-guides to receive the down-turned pointed ends of a belt fastener, which in its preferred construction, comprises a rod or hinge t6 and any desired number of wire teeth 47, coiled upon the rod and projecting outwardly therefrom into the interstices of the combs and against the bottom of the holder. The frictional engagement of the wire teeth with the combs will support the fastener in place but supports may be employed for this purpose, a pair of such supports 48, litting slidingly in slot 40, and having heads 49 overlapping the holder and nuts 50 underlying the ends of the hinge rod and adapted with said rod, to enter the space between the ends of the belt, when the latter are fastened together, so as to avoid interfering with the clinching of the ends of the fastener upon the belt. 7

The holder is provided on its underside with marks, (not shown) constituting a gage to enable the fastener to be accurately placed with reference to the width of the belt, and the position of the latter with respect to the screw 25, and the supports 4L8,

hold the fastener elevated and against slippage until the combs are depressed to operative position, that is from the initially elevated position shown at the left-hand side of Figure 7, to the depressed position shown by Figures 2, 3 and 4-, and at the right-hand side of Figure 7. The combs as thus arranged serve primarily to brace the fasten er ends against lateral deflection when power is applied through the screw to force the said ends through the belt, the underlying base and the convergence of the said ends insuring inward deflection and clinching thereof upon the underside of the belt. After the securing operation is completed, the supports are slid apart to release the ends of the fastener, and thus leave the "belt free, either by moving it or the appliance laterally.

it will usually be necessary to square :the ends of the beltl'iefore applying the fastener and to accomplish this a knifebl is provided. The knife fits in slot 2 and has trunnions 52 engaging slots 53 in the base. A set screw 54: mounted in the base normally holds the knife in inoperative position. When the knife is released by turning the set screw, it can be held and u'ianipulated at the pr angle to ell'ect the trimming of any portion or portions of the belt overlapping the slot The knife has sutlicient lateral play to be readily adjusted for its cutting end to bear against either side wall of the slot, as the trimn'iing of the corresponding end of the belt occurs.

From the abovedescription .it will be apparent that I have produced a device of the character described, which possesses all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a belt fastening machine, .a slotted base, vertically adjustable power means, a

fastener holder carried by said means above the base having comb edges and a plurality of vertical guides, vertically movable combs extending through the comb edges, and means for supporting a toothed belt fastener at the underside of the holder, the teeth of the fastener standing between teeth Of the v combs until the application of force by the power means forces the fastener teeth through adjacent ends of the belt and against the base on which such belt ends rest at opposite sides of the said slot.

2. In a belt fastening machine, a slotted base, vertically adjustable power means, a fastener holder carried by said means above the .base having comb edges and a plurality of vertical guides, vertically movable combs extending through the comb edges, means for supporting a toothed belt fastener at the underside of the holder, the teeth of the fastener standing between teeth of the combs until the application of force by the power means forces the fastener through adjacent ends of the belt and against the base which such belt ends rest at opposite sides of the said slot, and supports for the fastener adjustable longitudinally of the holder.

8. In a belt fastening machine, a holder having comb side edges, and vertically-adjustable combs engaging said comb edges, the teeth of the combs fitting between the teeth of the comb edges and normally depending from the holder.

4. In a belt fastening machine, a holder having comb side edges, vertically-adjustable combs engaging said comb edges, the teeth of the combs fitting between the teeth of the comb edges and normally depending from the holder, and vertical guide loops projecting upwardly from the holder at the ends of the comb edges and slidingly receiving the ends of the combs.

5. I11 a belt fastener, a longitudinallyslot-ted holder having side comb edges, vertically-adjustable combs engaging said comb edges between the teeth thereof and normally depending from the holder, and

fastener supports adjustable in the slot of the holder.

6. In a belt fastener, a longitudinallyslotted holder having side comb edges, vertically-adjustable combs engaging said comb edges between the teeth thereof and normally depending from the holder, fastener supports adjustable in the slot of the holder, and vertical guides for the combs carried by the holder.

7. In a belt fastener machine, a base, vertically-adjustable power means, a slotted frame carried by the power means, a fastener holder slidingly carried by the slot-ted frame above the said base, means for securing the slidingly-carried holder rigidly to said frame, and means to secure the ends of a belt upon the base in the path of clownward movement imparted to the holder by the power means.

In witness whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WALTER S. LAKE. 

